Melting Ice
by C. L. Kellen
Summary: After a couple decades, Hitsugaya is finally back from his mission to protect the Royal Family. So what does the tenth division captain look like now? Who will fall for him? -HitsuHina
1. The Return and the Disastrous Party

_Okay, my first actual Bleach fanfic story...plz don't judge too harshly..._

_Hope you guys enjoy this story and give me some reviews ._

**_~Kuro-chan_**

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**Melting Ice**

**Chapter One: The Return and the Disaster Party**

Matsumoto was definitely the most excited one. She hugged poor Momo so tight that Isane had to separate them with her zanpakutou. But Matsumoto continued to jump in delight, "Aww, you guys should look happier than that! Taiichou is finally coming back from his mission to protect the Royal Family! It's been a couple decades since we've all seen him!"

Nanao cleared her throat. "Rangiku, let me remind you that we're in the middle of a lieutenant meeting."

"But this is important!" Matsumoto persisted, "The tenth division captain is finally back! We've been taking orders mostly from the sixth and thirteenth, but now that Taiichou is back, our division will be back in action again!" She clasped her hands together with excitement.

"I wonder if he's gotten more powerful," Izuru Kira muttered quietly from across the room.

"Of course Taiichou got more powerful!" Matsumoto hit Izuru on the head.

Renji snickered from where he was sitting, "I wonder if he's gotten taller."

Matsumoto sighed. "Probably not. I don't think Taiichou grows at all…"

"Hitsu-kun is the best!" Yachiru bounced from where she was. "I liked him the bestest cause he was always the one that gave me candy." She put a finger on her lip in a thoughtful form. "I wonder what he looks like now. We haven't seen him in ages!"

A thought ran through everyone's head for a second and almost all of the girls in the room blushed. The reddest and quietest one was probably Hinamori.

Matsumoto put an arm around Hinamori and poked her on the tip of her nose. "Are you worried about your Shiro-chan, Momo?"

Hinamori turned redder and answered stubbornly. "No…"

"Stop making fun of her, Rangiku," Izuru said in Hinamori's defense.

"Aww, Izu, do you like Momo-chan too? Too bad Taiichou's coming back then, because we all know that Momo here will only fall for Shiro-chan." Matsumoto continued with her teasing.

"Stop it." Hinamori shrugged off Matsumoto's arm and turned to face her fiercely. "Toshirou and I have known each other since we were little. What if I am a little excited that he's coming back? It doesn't mean I like him." As soon as she said it, Hinamori turned away, afraid that her face would disagree with her words.

"This is pathetic!" Nanao slammed the table with both hands. "We are in a meeting Rangiku; we are supposed to be discussing new reports in our divisions."

Matsumoto tossed back her hair. "But we are talking about reports from my division. This has been the main talk for this entire week. We can't ignore the matter."

"Ooh! I just got a brilliant idea!" Yachiru squealed, suddenly breaking the argument. "Why don't we hold a return party for Hitsu-kun? I think that would be so fun! And it's not wasting the entire meeting either!"

Nanao slapped her forehead. "I give up. Do whatever you want."

Matsumoto jumped up. "I think that's a great idea! We need to hurry and plan it out now if we want to make it on time! He's coming back tonight!"

"And we should also invite Ken-chan and Bya-kun! If we invite everyone, it just makes the party better!" Yachiru was dancing now. "I can't wait! Hitsu-kun will be so surprised!"

"Okay, we need someone to make the invitations," Matsumoto said as she took out a few scraps of paper to write out the plans.

Nanao sighed, "I'll do it…if we're going to be doing this, we might as well do a good job."

"I'll help, Nanao!" Isane smiled and pulled a quiet Nemu along with them.

"Okay, invitations…check!" Matsumoto continued, "And we also need someone to do the decorations. We should let the boys handle this one…Shuuhei, Renji, Izuru, how about it?"

Hisagi raised an eyebrow. "Be warned Matsumoto, we're not good with decorations."

"Isn't decorating supposed to be for girls to do?" Renji turned to look at Hisagi.

"Yes, but boys together are just so cute together!" Matsumoto sighed, "Now, off to work, you three."

"She doesn't make any sense at all." Hisagi rolled his eyes and began to walk away.

"We're cute?" Renji and Kira voiced each other as they followed Hisagi out of the room.

"As for the rest of you…I think it would be best if you brought some candy and snacks to the party. Remember, Taiichou likes natto…well; he likes any type of sweets. I think it's best if you asked Ukitake-taiichou. He knows Taiichou's favorites." Matsumoto winked at them.

Yachiru looked disappointed, "I wanted to have an awesome part in creating Hitsu-kun's party."

Matsumoto smiled at Yachiru. "Don't worry, the three of us have the best job!" She pulled Hinamori over. "We are going to be the hosts!"

Hinamori sighed. "How did I get myself into this?"

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It was surprising what you could accomplish in a mere hours. Soon, food was set around the tenth division grounds and the decoration (which, were mighty ugly, if I say so myself) were put in place. Fortunately for Hisagi, Renji, and Izuru, there was a silver full moon in the night sky that threw everyone's attention off of the decorations.

The other captains, who were dragged by Nanao, Isane, and Nemu to come, were standing off to the side in a group by themselves.

"This is a waste of my time," Yamamoto almost hollered.

"Calm down now," Unohana smiled softly, "It's true that we haven't seen Hitsugaya-taiichou is a long time and that we all do miss him in the captain meetings."

Soifon sniffed. "I wonder what the lieutenants do in their meetings. When did they get the time or funding to hold parties?"

Kurotsuchi twitched impatiently, "I was in the middle of a very important experiment before some bastards came and dragged me into this!"

"Ah, shut your face, you piece of research shit!" Kenpachi rolled his eyes. "It's always some stupid experiment for you, but I was bored out of my mind…it's so dull when there aren't any battles around."

Kurotsuchi spun on Kenpachi. "Do you want to fight?"

"Stop it." Byakuya's quiet voice was heard by all. "As long as you're here, you should at least try to let others enjoy themselves. If you want to fight, do it somewhere else."

The captains' conversation ended as Yachiru, Matsumoto, and Hinamori called to everyone's attention.

Matsumoto was the first to speak. "Sorry everyone, but it seems that Hitsugaya-taiichou won't be making it tonight. We thought he would be here, but it seems that his plans have been delayed and he'll probably come early tomorrow morning instead."

There was a silence in the crowd.

"Oh, and I was looking forward to this!" Kyoraku complained, "It's been a long time since we've had a full Gotei 13 meeting that actually wasn't in a battle field."

"But you could always return in the morning to see Hitsu-kun!" Yachiru smiled in her innocent way. "Sorry to spoil it for everyone!"

Kurotsuchi grabbed Nemu by her hair, "Okay, back to the lab…"

With a sigh from everyone else, people began to leave the tenth division grounds.

"…aww, I was hoping we were going to have some fun…"

"…the decorations really did suck…"

"…who was this party for again?"

"…you stupid? The captain of the tenth!"

And in the end, it was left for Matsumoto and Hinamori to clean up.

"Are you alright, Momo? You don't look too well." Matsumoto looked up from where she was picking up the garbage.

Hinamori rubbed her temples. "Yeah, I'm just a little disappointed."

"Because you were hoping to see him, weren't you?" Matsumoto looked at Hinamori. This time, she was serious.

Hinamori dropped her head and nodded. "And now everyone's gone…and we didn't even get to celebrate for Shiro-chan—." She suddenly felt the familiar reiatsu wash over her.

"How many time to I have to tell you Hinamori," Momo's eyes suddenly widened at the deep and sexy voice that was behind her, "It's not 'Shiro-chan', it's 'Hitsugaya-taiichou'."

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_Wanna know what Hitsu-kun looks like??? Better give me some reviews ^_^_

_You guys know the drill, the more review, the faster the next chapter comes in!_


	2. Hitsugaya Toshirou, Age 17

_I apologize, cause I do a horrible job in updating...but it's not really my fault since I had huge tests to prepare for..._

_Anyways, sry again, for holding Hitsugaya's good looks to myself until now...MUWAHAHA_

**_~Enjoy, Kuro-chan_**

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**Chapter Two: Hitsugaya Toshirou, Age 17**

Hinamori spun around on her heals. Before, she had always looked down to meet Hitsugaya's eyes but this time she was surprised that he was at least a head taller than her. She quickly scanned him with her eyes before the heat in her face started showing.

Hitsugaya was leaning against entrance wall of the tenth division with his arm crossed and eyes closed. He was wearing a sleeveless gray-blue kimono that was held together with a green sash. _Of course, _Hinamori thought, _I forgot that the protectors of the Royal family had to wear official uniforms. And…Shiro-chan looks so sexy in sleeveless robes. _She blushed in spite of herself for thinking such dirty 's silver-white hair had also gotten longer. It began to spike out more in the back so that his hair looked like it was made out of ice crystals.

Hitsugaya opened his eyes slowly and looked towards where Hinamori and Matsumoto were standing. The only thing that didn't change about him was his piercing emerald eyes.

"Taichou…" Matsumoto whispered from behind Hinamori. Even she sounded shocked to see a _man _standing in front of her, but as soon as the moment passed, she regained her old 'carefree' self. Within a blink Matsumoto jumped up to hug Hitsugaya. "TAICHOU! WAH! I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE BACK! WE ALL MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

Hitsugaya sighed and Hinamori could see his teeth clench. "Please get off of me, Matsumoto." Hinamori shivered at his voice. It was so different from the 'Shiro-chan' voice she had known before.

Matsumoto jumped off and pointed at Hitsugaya's clothes. "I will go fetch your proper robes, Taichou. The color of the royal protection uniforms doesn't really match the color of your eyes." She clapped her hands together in excitement. "And I'm almost done with all of today's paper work. So I'll come greet you properly later!"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "When did you start working?"

Matsumoto put a finger to her lips and looked up as if to think super hard. "Well, after you were gone, I had no choice but to finish up on all the papers." She gave Hitsugaya a smile, "And Yamamoto-taichou also threatened that he would replace me if I didn't work."

Matsumoto yawned and gave Hitsugaya and Hinamori a little wave. "I'll come back after I finish up the paper work or find your haori, Taichou! Night, night!" With that, she disappeared through the screen doors.

Under the bright moonlight, Hinamori realized suddenly that she was left alone with Hitsugaya. The silence in the night only brought on more tension into the situation.

It was Hitsugaya who broke the silence. "How have you been, Hinamori?" He used a gentler tone with her than Matsumoto.

In embarrassment, Hinamori looked down and played with her fingers. She didn't dare to meet Hitsugaya' eyes, or who knew what she do when her heart was beating so fast. "I've been good these years, Toshirou." When she talked to him, she kept on forgetting to address him properly as a captain. "There hasn't been any big problem after Kurosaki-kun and Aizen-taichou…" She trailed off. _What am I doing? _Hinamori thought to herself, _I know Shiro-chan despises Aizen-taichou and that's the first thing I come up with as soon as he comes back to the Gotei 13. _

Hinamori looked up into Hitsugaya's eyes. He hid his feeling well, but Hinamori could see the burning pain that was deep in them.

But Hitsugaya turned away from her and didn't say anything.

Hinamori felt as if she had been slapped. She didn't want her best childhood friend to hate her after saying that, and besides, this wasn't the conversation she had planned on having with him after his return. Hinamori took a step towards the silver-haired man in front of her. In a barely audible whisper, she said, "Toshirou…Hitsugaya-taichou, why did you leave us?"

Hitsugaya turned back to look down at her. "Because I was ordered to."

"No," Hinamori shook her head, "No, I mean…why did you just take off without saying anything?" There was silence and Hinamori continued and her voice grew louder, "You left without even saying a good bye to me. I was so worried about you, Shiro-chan."

Again, Hitsugaya said nothing.

Hinamori took another step of advance and gripped the front of Hitsugaya's robes. She was almost screaming now. "Why did you leave? You didn't say anything to me or Matsumoto! Did you know how it feels to wake up in the morning to visit your best friend and find that he took off to some foreign land to protect the Royal family?"

Hitsugaya took Hinamori's hand and pried her fingers loose of his robes. "It's because I was ordered by Yamamoto-taichou to go as a secret mission." Even though his voice was gentle, Hinamori felt as if ice needles were piercing into her.

"What did you do there anyways? You can tell that to me, right?"

Hitsugaya refused to meet her eyes. "It's a top secret mission. I'm not allowed to reveal anything."

"I thought you liked me Shiro-chan!" _Oh shoot, why did I say that? _Hinamori thought to herself. She had heard this rumor go around in the Soul Society: Why does the tenth division captain only favor Hinamori? Were they only childhood friends, or were they more? Hinamori had never expected herself to use this against her best friend.

The latch that was holding back Hitsugaya's anger was suddenly broken loose. "Oh?" His voice was icy and deadly now. "It doesn't matter since you're so in love with your 'Aizen-taichou' anyways."

If it hadn't been for Matsumoto, Hinamori thought Hitsugaya could've said worse. "What is going on here?" Matsumoto's head appeared at the screen door. "Do you two want to get the whole Gotei 13 down here? I can't even work with all your shouting."

Hitsugaya walked away from Hinamori and to where Matsumoto was. "It's been a long time since I was back. I suppose I should help you with some of the paperwork." With that, he stepped pass Matsumoto and left the two girls out by themselves.

Matsumoto took a look at Hinamori, "Hey, are you alright?"

But that was more than what Hinamori could handle in a day. She ran out of the tenth division grounds with her brain muddled of thoughts. She reached up and wiped away a tear; she had been so busy fighting with Hitsugaya that she didn't even notice herself crying.

"Why does it have to be like this?" She muttered to herself, "I wanted Hitsugaya to come back, I wanted to see him again, but I'm not so sure now."

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_Next chapter: A new character will be introduced...so, jealousy will arise ^^_

_Plz give me some reviews...I'll try to update the next chapter faster..._


	3. Princess Miyu

_Here's the next chapter you guys...sry for the slow update and everything..._

_And, also to answer **Wolfy-chan08's **question: yes, Matsumoto and Hinamori basically changed. For just how they look, I think I'll put that in another chapter, sry -_-_

_Anyways, enjoy_

**~Kuro-chan**

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**Chapter Three: Princess Miyu**

Hinamori woke up the next morning under a cherry blossom tree. She rubbed her dry eyes as she got up and stretched lazily. She blinked at the unfamiliar surrounding; the last thing she remembered last night was running out of the tenth division, where was she now?

"Oi! HInamori!" Someone called from above on the tree. Hinamori looked up to see burning red hair trying to mix into the pink petal around it. "You're finally awake, huh?"

Hinamori frowned, "Renji? What am I doing here?"

Renji made a face. "Yeah, that what I wanted to know too. Kuchiki-taichou woke up this morning to find you there; he ordered me to watch you so there wouldn't be any trouble. Oh! And guess what? Hitsugaya-taichou is back! Rangiku made a big deal about it last night after you guys cleaned up!"

Hinamori bit her lips. Appearantly, Renji didn't know what really happened last night and Matsumoto hadn't bothered to tell any of them. "So?" She retorted rudely, "I don't care!"

Renji raised an eyebrow in surprise and jumped off the tree branch. "Are you okay, Hina? I mean, I would think you'd be most excited to hear that he's back…"

Hinamori made a face. "I did see him last night when he came back, and I most certainly wouldn't want to see him ever again!" She spun on her heels and started to walk to nowhere in particular as Renji made an effort to catch up with her from behind.

"Did something happen between you two last night?" He asked looking down at her as he matched his strides to hers.

"No!" Hinamori almost shouted back at him, but anyone with common sense would have seen that Hinamori wasn't her usually self. Renji, being one of Hinamori's oldest friends, saw that she must be upset over something that happened last night.

"Hina, we all know you too well. Something happened last night between you and Hitsugaya-taichou, am I right?"

Hinamori looked away, and this time she didn't reply to the question knowing that Renji can see through her lies. "Damn it, Renji," Hinamori muttered while taking the sleeve of his shinigami robes. "You do know me too well."

Renji chuckled. "Now don't try to change the subject. Are you going to tell me what happened or not?"

Hinamori sighed as they continued to stride down the empty streets in the Seireitei. "Well, I don't exactly know what's going on either. It just that…Shiro-chan seems to have changed so much while he was gone. I feel like I hardly know him anymore."

Renji looked down are Hinamori curiously. "Haven't you forgotten that Hitsugaya-taichou is type that always snaps on people? But you know, he cares for you more than anyone else, even though he hides his gentle side from you the most."

Hinamori raised an eyebrow at Renji. "When did you become so wise?"

Renji frowned back, "Well, I thought you would know this by now. You seem to understand Hitsugaya-taichou the best back in the days when he was still three feet tall."

Hinamori had to laugh at that. She always knew that Renji would make her worries disappear.

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Hitsugaya was sitting at his office desk with him face in his hands. He knew he have a pile of paperwork in front of him to finish, but he just wasn't in the mood to think about anything but what happened last night. Deep down, he knew he regretted saying such icy words to Hinamori. _What if she hates me now? _Hitsugaya thought to himself. He couldn't bear it if that happens. Decades ago when Hinamori had pointed her blade at him, it was almost like having her blade piercing into his heart. It was a painful thing, to be in love and out of love.

_Please let her forgive me, I didn't mean anything I said last night…_

As if right on cue, there was a gentle knock on the door to his office, and a voice which he longed to hear murmured, "May I speak to you, Shiro-chan?"

"Yes, please come in." The door opened, let Hinamori in, and closed behind her. Slowly, she strode to the seat that was right in front of his working area.

Hinamori looked down nervously. "Er, Shiro-chan, I just want to apologize for what I said last night. I was being too persistent and you were right for being paranoid with me."

Hitsugaya almost fell off of his seat. _Why the hell is she sorry? I'm the one who should be apologizing. _

"It's not your fault Hina." That was Hitsugaya's best answer. "I'm sorry for being an idiot yesterday. I didn't mean anything I said." He looked away from Hinamori; for Hitsugaya, admitting something to someone is the hardest thing for him.

Hitsugaya looked up to see Hinamori smiling at him. "I'm glad. Then we're friends again, right?" He let out a breath of relieve to see Hinamori her old self again.

Just then, there was a loud banging on the screen door. Hitsugaya tore his eyes away from Hinamori as he said in an almost annoyed voice, "Come in…"

At his words, Matsumoto burst open the door and into the room. "Taichou! You should come quickly! There's a weird girl outside the Seireitei gates requesting for you!"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow as Hinamori cocked her head to look at her dear friend curiously. _Now who could be coming to the Seireitei to look for Shiro-chan? _

Hitsugaya looked as confused as Hinamori did. "Do you know who is requesting me, Matsumoto?"

Matsumoto scratched her head as she answered, "Well, it's a girl with a hot temper…she's threatening to have her father tear down the gates if you don't show up."

Hitsugaya sighed, "Well, I guess we'd better check this out."

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There was a consistent boom on the gates as Hitsugaya, Hinamori, and Matsumoto finally arrived. There were some shinigamis they passed on the way running away in fear and some daring enough to go closer.

One shinigami hollered, "Hey, Hitsugaya-taichou is passing though! Hey! Everyone make room!" The crowd parted for a one way path for the captain and the lieutenants up to one of the gates of the Seireitei.

Hitsugaya released command for the gate to be opened and ordered everyone to get ready in case it was an enemy attack.

The doors opened to a large and colorful chariot with horses tolling a girl who mounted herself at the top. The girl was pretty in a way. She had large blue eyes that reflected the rays of the sun and honey-blonde hair that was twisted in curls. Her kimono was of the faintest blue that brought out the color of her eyes and there were silk designs of pink roses on them. Carefully, she stepped down from where she sat and almost ran to Hitsugaya.

"'Tsu-chan!!! Oh 'Tsu-chan! I knew I would find you here! I asked my father if I could live with you for a couple of days since I missed you so much."

A ring of confusion began to spread through the crowd behind Hitsugaya.

"Who is that girl?"

"…Is she close to Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"…wah! I always knew Hitsugaya-taichou would find a good girlfriend!"

Hinamori tapped on Hitsugaya's shoulders. "Shiro-chan, who is she?" The crowd fell silent as they listened.

But Hitsugaya didn't have a chance to answer Hinamori's question. The girl that was so pretty showed her dark side as she ran up and slapped Hinamori.

Hinamori was too shocked to do anything, but Hitsugaya caught her in his arms. Wearily, he asked, "Why are you here, Miyu?"

Miyu changed her glared that she used on Hinamori into a smile as she looked at Hitsugaya. "I came here to find you."

Hinamori fought her way out of Hitsugaya's hold as she asked, "Who is she Hitsugaya-taichou and how do you know her?" Hitsugaya blinked at Hinamori who gave him a dark look that almost tore him apart. Hinamori rarely addressed Hitsugaya with the term 'captain' unless she was seriously upset about something that involved him.

Hitsugaya looked down as her answered HInamori, "She is the youngest princess of the Royal family in which I had to serve for my mission: Miyu no hime."

With a smirk on her face, Miyu glided toward Hitsugaya and put her arms around him. "That's right, and since I'm princess, I get to issue the orders around here. My first order is to have that girl exiled," she pointed at Hinamori, "So that I can have 'Tsu-chan all to myself."

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_In every story, there needs to be a conflict, and in this story, damn Miyu is the conflict...but don't worry, I luv HitsuHina more, so I won't make Hina-chan suffer ^_^_

_Reviews???_


	4. Pure Jealousy

_YAYS! Today is the last day of school and I'm finally done with finals!!! So, I'm publishing this chapter as a present, for me and the people out there!_

_I took some of your suggestions and made this chapter a little bit longer than the others. And I'm sorry for the people who expect me to update sooner! SORRY! I don't have that much time in my life! _

_Anyways, I love all of your reviews!_

**~Kuro-chan**

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**Chapter Four: Pure Jealousy**

Hinamori had always told Hitsugaya when he was little that showing anger through violence was something that he shouldn't do. Unfortunately, violence was the only thing Hinamori can think of when her eyes met Miyu's. Without thinking, Hinamori drew out her zanpakutou with speed she had built up these years.

Her blade met another and she was forcefully disarmed by Hyorinmaru. Hinamori blinked at Hitsugaya who refused to meet her eyes. "What's going on, Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya sheathed his sword. "I'm sorry, Hina, but this is the daughter of the royal family, and it's our duty to protect the royal family."

Suddenly, seven men dressed in black from head to toe appeared out of nowhere with all sorts of weapons pointed at Hinamori. Hitsugaya took a step in front of her protectively. He spoke to the guards as if he'd known them before. "I ask of you to halt your advances to this girl. She did not go against the laws of our world."

One of the men replied in a monotone voice, "Hitsugaya-taichou, she has pointed her blade at our princess. It is law that she should be executed."

Hitsugaya didn't budge as his eyes harden at the word 'executed'. "If I may point out, Hinamori Momo wasn't pointing her blade at Miyu no Hime. Technically, it was because of me that she drew her zanpakutou. If execution is to be the charge here, then I must also be at fault in this situation."

The men looked at Miyu for instruction for what to do next.

Miyu sniffed a dismissal. "It's alright; besides, I don't want to see people die over this stupid matter."

Hinamori gritted her teeth. _She means she doesn't want Hitsugaya to be executed. I thought Shiro-chan was defending her with Hyorinmaru, but looks like his real plan was for me to remain alive in this world. Shiro-chan is amazing…he thinks of strategies so quickly while I don't think at all. How come I never noticed before? _

With her wandering thoughts of Hitsugaya, a red flush began to creep up on her face. It was really hard to keep her eyes off of the man in front of him when his kimono as well as his haori was all hugging his muscular form. And her face was only getting redder...

Miyu glared at Hinamori and walked over to them. "'Tsu-chan…" she said with an abnormally sweet voice as she took Hitsugaya's arm in hers. "…let's go. I don't want to be here with her." There weren't any other 'her' there.

It pissed off Hinamori seeing Hitsugaya not doing anything in this situation. He was supposed to fight Miyu off and stay by _her _side, not playing along with that spoiled princess. It hurt her to see someone else with her Shiro-chan. The old Hitsugaya she had known would have ran to her side to see if anything bothered her. But this Hitsugaya was different. He understood social status. He understood that he was messing with things that were out of his range. He understood that Hinamori wasn't the only girl in his life anymore.

And that broke her heart.

She had missed him miserably everyday when he went on that mission. But it wasn't Hitsugaya's fault that Yamamoto-taichou had assigned a special squad to protect the royal family. It wasn't his fault that he was so talented in what he did, being the youngest captain to accomplish so many things. She could never match up to him: in skills or power. It was only a few years back when all her feelings of Aizen melted and her 'little' Shiro-chan was the only thing that remained frozen in her heart. It was then that she realized that she had more than just feelings of friendship for her childhood best friend. She was in love with him.

Hinamori finally understood what Matsumoto had told her about love being a painful thing. Matsumoto never built any relationships after Ichimaru-taichou disappeared from her world. Hinamori didn't understand at first. She thought Matsumoto was being introspective and ignorant, but over time she realized that Ichimaru-taichou had broken her heart. And only he can heal her wounds again.

Matsumoto had often told Hinamori that she was young. She was young and her heart could heal and build another love in it. Just because Aizen left her for his own ambitions didn't mean she couldn't fall for someone else.

But Hinamori was scared, scared that something like this would happen. She knew she had already fallen too deeply for her former best friend, but she was afraid that he wouldn't be able to return her feelings. Already, there was another girl whom Hitsugaya needed to protect. And Miyu…she was definitely a beauty…

…and maybe…she was better for him.

Hinamori slid open the screen doors that lead into her small bedroom. She closed her eyes and let herself fall onto the floor; the tears that she had held back in front of Miyu now washed over her.

She felt as if she was dying a thousand deaths, falling into an endless pit of agony that burned her heart. Maybe love was something that she wasn't meant to experience. People she had a burning passion for just keeps slipping out of her grasp.

Aizen…

…and…

Him…

…Hitsugaya Toshirou.

The overwhelming feeling of loss came over her again as she lay on the hard floor, staring out the window at the setting sun. She watched as the golden sun in the distance lit the skies orange and it was quickly falling into the horizon. Right outside of her bedroom was a cherry blossom tree that was losing its petals to the chilly breezes.

She must have fallen asleep because she opened her eyes again to the darkness and a soft knocking on her door.

"Come in," she said weakly. That was an impolite thing to not get up, but she was so tired.

The screen door slid open, and Hinamori could even make out his bright emerald eyes and silver hair in the dark. He shut the door behind him and turned on the lights.

"Hina…you look horrible," He looked away from her, "I'm sorry. I keep making you cry." He walked over to her side and sat down next to her with an apologetic expression on his face.

Hinamori turned his face so he was looking at her. "Where is Miyu?"

"What?"

"What happened to her? Weren't you with her this afternoon?"

Hitsugaya looked like he was about to throw up. "You have no idea how much torture I went through today with her." He looked disgusted and tired at the same time. "Miyu is still a child at heart. She does not and will not ever care for anyone but herself. I guess all of them princesses are like that."

Hearing Hitsugaya talk of Miyu in disgust made Hinamori's heart lift. She let out a breath of relieve.

"What?"

"Hmm, what do you mean, Shiro-chan?"

"Why did you sigh like that?"

Uh-oh…well, thank goodness it was dark or Hitsugaya would have found Hinamori completely red in the face. "Nothing, I'm tired."

"I see." But he didn't sound convinced.

To Hinamori's surprise, Hitsugaya bent over and lifted her into a 'princess hold' as if she weighed nothing more than a sack of flour.

"Hitsugaya, what are you doing?" Hinamori gasped in surprise as she flung her arms around his neck naturally. Being this close to him, she could feel the steel-hard muscles in his arm and chest.

"I'm getting you to bed. You can't be lying on the floor the entire night."

Hinamori didn't complain seeing the reason behind Hitsugaya's words.

Hitsugaya set her gently in the middle of the sheets and pulled a thick blanket over her. Slowly, he sat down on her bed—careful not to crush her—and fingered through his silver hair. Even in the dark, Hinamori could see the tired look on his face and his eyes.

But she didn't want him to go.

"Stay with me." She whispered, knowing that it was a selfish wish.

To her surprise, Hitsugaya laid down in the nook of her arm. "I'm tired Momo…so tired…" He closed his eyes as Hinamori brought her arm around his neck.

She felt the pounding in her chest accelerate as Hitsugaya's breathing slowed. A great sense of blissfulness overcame her as she fell asleep with this man in her arms.

* * *

_Hey, hey! I know..._

_I know what you guys are thinking...I know what you guys were hoping for :D_

_But don't worry, that comes in later in the story ^_^_

_For now, you definitely should give me some reviews :D_


	5. Matsumoto's Plan

_I really do fail at updating, don't I??? Well, I'll tell you guys that I'll definitely update on July 17th or maybe earlier, just because it's my BIRTHDAY!!! WOOHOO!_

_Anyways, sry, I was really busy (but that's what I say everytime, huh?)..._

**~Kuro-chan**

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**Chapter Five: Matsumoto's Plan**

Hinamori opened her eyes in the morning to find Hitsugaya putting on his captain haori. She watched him closely; he was careful to do everything quietly as to not wake her up. _Hitsugaya-kun is such a considerate person…_Hinamori followed her thoughts with a blush.

"Where are you going so early in the morning," Hinamori asked as Hitsugaya was about to walk out of the room.

Hitsugaya looked surprised. "Oh, I didn't know you were awake, Momo."

Hinamori smiled at him and lay back down on the pillow. Her long hair formed what looked like a black pool around her head. "You never did answer that question. Where are you going?"

"Captain's meeting." Hitsugaya answered simply. "Sorry for leaving you like this, but the head captain called for an emergency meeting because of the arrival of Miyu."

Hinamori's urge to strangle Miyu came back. "Well, you'd better be going, or you'll be late." She answered quickly before she did anything rash.

Hitsugaya nodded and closed the door after exiting.

No sooner had Hitsugaya walked out, Hinamori's shinigami cell phone rang in her bag. She turned over and reached for her 'weapon' that was developed by the twelfth division; they was only supposed to use these on missions, and the only one that would break the rules would be…

"Hello?"

"So, tell me what happened! I want to know everything!" Matsumoto's excited squeal made Hinamori hold the phone away from her ear.

"What do you mean?" Hinamori replied casually.

Matsumoto chuckled. "Heh, don't pretend like you don't know anything, Hinamori! Taichou left early last night because he said he was 'tired'. He went to see you, didn't he?"

"Maybe…"

"Did he stay overnight with you?"

"Maybe…"

Matsumoto chuckled, "Were you a bad girl, Hina?"

Hinamori rolled her eyes. "No," she said flatly and blushed. "Matsumoto, if this is what you're going to talk about, then I'm hanging up."

Matsumoto chuckled and the screen door to Hinamori's room pulled open. "Hang up if you want, but I can still find you."

Hinamori pulled herself out of bed. "You were calling me while standing outside of my room?" She snapped her phone shut. "You're unbelievable."

Matsumoto had a smile plastered on her face, "Hey, that's what Taichou always says."

"And he's right. What is it that you wanted to see me about?" Hinamori could usually tell when something was bothering her friend. No matter how careless Matsumoto was, she still cared about her friends one way or another.

The smile disappeared from Matsumoto's face; she walked over and set herself next to Hinamori on her bed. "How do you feel about Hitsugaya-taichou? And I'm actually being serious this time."

_Actually being serious…uh-oh, I knew she would talk to me about this sooner or later…_

Hinamori gave a little shrug, not wanting to admit her feeling. If she popped the bubble that held all her feelings now, she might not be able to stop herself from needing Hitsugaya. "I guess I like him a little." Hinamori put in, not wanting to disappoint Matsumoto.

"Really?" Matsumoto raised an eyebrow, "Cause that's not what your eyes are saying."

Hinamori turned her face away from Matsumoto's so that she didn't have to look at her.

Matsumoto continue, "I think you like Hitsugaya-taichou more than you know. You're just trying to hide the feelings, aren't you?"

Hinamori didn't answer. She didn't know how to answer such a question.

Matsumoto sighed, "I think both you and Taichou are as dense as pieces of lead."

"Wha—?"

"You two both try to ignore your feelings don't you? I mean, serious Hinamori, I can see why Taichou got pissed at you on the first night when he came back." Matsumoto put a thoughtful finger on her lips.

Hinamori waited and listened.

"See, the two of you haven't seen each other for years, right? Taichou was probably really happy to see you, but the first thing you mention to him when he comes back was Aizen." Matsumoto paused and waited for Hinamori's reaction.

"Were you listening to our conversation or something?" Hinamori questioned with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.

Matsumoto rolled her eyes, "Unfortunately, no. But when I was finishing my reports with him, he once asked me, 'So does Hinamori still care that much for Aizen?' That alone says a lot about you guys' first meeting."

Hinamori looked down, ashamed of herself. She knew Matsumoto was right to an extent, _But do I really love Shiro-chan? _The word 'love' made her shiver. Someone as disgusting as herself doesn't deserve to love and to be loved. She had never once put Hitsugaya's feelings above her own. Now that she looked back on the years, she had always run crying to Hitsugaya to complain about her Aizen-taichou. How many times had Hitsugaya's feelings been hurt by her? And last night, when she was with him, he still cared about her feelings more than anyone else's. He constantly checked up on her, even if it was his duty to protect the princess. Last night, he had even apologized for making her cry, but that was her own fault. It was her jealousy.

Hinamori got up and walked out the door with an anxious Matsumoto tailing her. Hinamori looked down at her clothes; she hadn't even bothered to change out of her shinigami robes last night.

"Matsumoto-san, do you think I'm a horrible person?" Hinamori quietly asked the older women behind her.

"Hmm? Now what do you mean by that Hina?"

Hinamori looked down as she tried to hold back her tears, "Don't you think that maybe someone like me doesn't deserve someone as kind as Hitsugaya-taichou?"

Matsumoto put a hand on Hinamori's thin shoulder and spun her around. "Now don't you think those thoughts!"

"But it's true, Matsumoto-san!" Hinamori wiped away her now-fallen tears. "What is someone like me to Hitsugaya-kun? I'm nothing!"

Matsumoto put both hands on Hinamori's shoulders and shook her. "Don't be stupid! Can't you see that you're the only person that can make him happy?"

That jolted Hinamori from her depression state, "What do you mean?"

Matsumoto gave the younger girl a tiny smile, "Can't you see that he only loses his perfect 'captain' composure in front of you? He actually smiles at you for heaven's sakes! With me, he'd always scowl and look annoyed."

Hinamori didn't answer. _Is this true? Hitsugaya-kun was actually happy around me? _

Matsumoto continued, "I'm just seeing you today to tell you to open yourself up more in front of Taichou, and to stop mentioning Aizen in front of him. I honestly didn't expect this conversation." She sighed and pulled back her hair, "Do you want to go and have lunch with me and Rukia?"

Hinamori suddenly found herself wanting food. She had skipped breakfast this morning because she woke up so late. "Sure," she smiled, "And I will consider what you said seriously, Matsumoto-san…um, thanks for today."

Matsumoto laughed and put an arm around her. "No problem. Besides, I like doing this kind of stuff; who do you think got Rukia and Ichigo together, hmm?"

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when the screen door to the tenth division slid open. In came the silver-haired captain.

Matsumoto looked up from behind her stack of finished work, "Taichou! You're finally back! What did the head captain say?"

Hitsugaya sighed and scratched his head, "The second division is currently in charge of taking care of Miyu. But we've also been assigned another mission, Matsumoto. Get ready; we're going to be leaving in two days."

Matsumoto stood up quickly, "What?! But you just got back from a mission! Is Yamamoto-taichou just going to assign another one like that?"

Hitsugaya walked over to his desk, "'Fraid so. We're going to be going to the world of the living…again."

"But Taichou—." Matsumoto suddenly stopped herself and a slow smile spread across her face. "Okay Taichou, I'll be looking forward to the mission!" And with that, she went back to her papers.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, _Do I want to know what she's plotting?_

* * *

After dinner, the orange-haired shinigami started to head down to the first division. When she had a plan in mind, nothing was going to stop her.

Sasakibe answered the door to an eager Matsumoto. "Rangiku-san? What are you doing here?"

"I request an audience with Head Captain Yamamoto."

Sasakibe nodded and led her inside. Yamamoto was standing on a balcony that was overlooking the Seireitei. He didn't bother to turn as Matsumoto entered the room. "Vice-captain Matsumoto, what brings you here?"

Matsumoto brought herself down on one knee. "I have a bond request, Yamamoto-taichou."

"Continue."

"About the mission you assigned Hitsugaya-taichou and me, I wish to decline from it." Matsumoto spoke without faltering.

There was a pause. "And why do you present me with this request?"

Matsumoto didn't look up, "Because I feel that I'm not the right person for this mission."

Yamamoto turned around, "Oh? Well, who would be the right candidate for this mission then?"

Matsumoto looked up at the captain of the first division, "I'm requesting for you to send Fifth Division Vice-captain Momo Hinamori to accompany Hitsugaya-taichou on this mission."

* * *

_It must be pretty cool having Matsumoto as a friend ^_^_

_Plz review!!!_

_**Important Announcement: **(this will be my only announcement that's actually not...random crap)_

_Anyways, I'm looking for a beta reader for a ByaHisa story! I don't really like the whole browse for Beta Readers thing cause I have no idea how to pick an editor out of hundreds of people...so yeah! I'm looking for someone who can finish editting with speed and accuracy, and who likes my stories (wah! I hope you guys all do, anyways!). If you're interested, or if you can suggest someone good, please leave a post script in your review or PM me ^_^ I would be happy to consider you! Oh yeah, and plz sent me your requests before July 10, 2009! Many thanks for even reading this long of a message! _

**~Kuro-chan**


	6. Missions

_This chapter took me a long time...sooooo sorry everyone -_-_

_I hope you enjoy it though..._

**~Kuro-chan**

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**Chapter Six: Missions**

Hinamori had a blank look on her face when she came back from Yamamoto's office the next morning. The whole view of her new mission hadn't quite sunk in yet. _I'm going on a mission with the captain of the tenth…wait! Hitsugaya-kun is captain of the tenth! _The idea hit her like a slap on the face. _Oh god, I'm going on a mission with Hitsugaya-kun. What should I wear…?_

Hinamori shook her head; she clenched her fists and muttered to herself, "I'm going on a mission, not a date. I shouldn't worry about such trivial matters such as appeal!"

But she couldn't stop her heart rate from accelerating thinking that she would be _alone_ with Hitsugaya for a couple of days. This mission was going to drive her mad; she could barely hold a sword next to Hitsugaya let alone fight.

The vice-captain's mind was clouded with thoughts as she entered her office in the fifth division. The world before her was in a complete blur so she didn't notice Matsumoto sitting in her seat. The orange-haired shinigami had a huge grin on her face.

"Hello Momo!" Matsumoto called, trying to stop herself from laughing out loud.

"Mmm…" Hinamori answered absently. As if someone suddenly lifted the screen that was blocking Hinamori's mind, she quickly snapped up her head to look at Matsumoto. "Matsumoto-san, what are you doing here?"

"Just dropping by to check up on you. What did the head captain call you to his office for?"

"Oh! He was assigning a new mission—." Hinamori abruptly stopped and raised an eyebrow at Matsumoto. Quietly, she asked, "Was it you, Matsumoto?"

The sly smile plastered on Matsumoto's face confirmed Hinamori's suspicions. "You are evil."

Matsumoto shrugged, "You'll thank me for my evilness one day."

Hinamori sighed heavily and set herself down on the nearest chair. "You only add to my problems…"

Matsumoto rolled her eyes, "How is being with Taichou a problem for _you_?"

Hinamori rubbed her temples, "I won't be able to concentrate on the mission anymore…"

"Oh?"

"How am I supposed to fight knowing that _he's_ next to me?"

"Just fight like you always do. He'll be impressed, I'm sure."

"What are we supposed to talk about? I haven't talked to him in years!" Hinamori ranted.

"I'm sure you guys will find at least one subject in common…as long as it's not Aizen."

Hinamori continued as if she didn't hear any of Matsumoto's replies, "What am I going to wear? I'm never had a mission in the human world before."

Matsumoto smiled at that, "You can leave that to Urahara-san and Yoruichi-sama."

Hinamori played with her fingers, "How am I supposed to sleep at night knowing that Hitsugaya-kun is near by?"

"Well, that depends on if you're sleeping in your bed or Taichou's."

Hinamori stood up quickly, "That's not what I meant and you're not helping me with my problems. Can you please leave me alone so I can sort everything out?" She hurried Matsumoto towards the door, "I can't believe Hitsugaya-kun agree to this!"

Matsumoto laughed, "Taichou didn't agree to it; he doesn't even know that he's going on a mission with you."

Hinamori stopped, "What?" But Matsumoto hurriedly left and shut the screen door before Hinamori could say anything else.

* * *

Next morning, before the sun was half way over the horizon, the captain of the tenth division stood next to the Seireitei gates impatiently.

"Matsumoto is still as late as always, huh?" He muttered to himself. "We're already fifteen minutes behind schedule!"

"Taichou!" Matsumoto popped up behind him, "I forgot to tell you some unimportant information about this mission."

Hitsugaya glared down at Matsumoto, "Tell me on the way there; we have to go now."

"But Taichou, I'm not going on the mission."

Hitsugaya spun around with a look of annoyance on his face. "What do you mean?"

Matsumoto had an innocent smile on her face. "I asked Head Captain about declining this mission and he agreed to it."

"And this is unimportant information that you forgot to tell me before we go on the mission."

Matsumoto laughed nervously, "But don't worry Taichou, I found you a replacement!" Seeing Hitsugaya's glare, Matsumoto continued, "I've asked Momo-chan to go instead. Aren't you excited?" Matsumoto thought she saw the veins in her captain's neck twitch for a moment.

"Excuse me, what?"

Matsumoto laughed, "Hinamori will be here in a second; I'm going back to sleep." And before Hitsugaya could utter a complaint, Matsumoto was already gone.

"That idiot!" Hitsugaya closed his eyes trying to gather his suddenly scattered thoughts. He suddenly felt the approach of another spiritual pressure…_her _spiritual pressure. Hitsugaya opened his eyes and gaped at the girl that was coming towards him; he could barely recognize her since the last time they met. "Hinamori…?"

Her hair, which was usually put up into a bun now flowed pass her shoulders. "It's me," the girl smiled, "I cut my hair yesterday night; do you like it?"

Hitsugaya blinked, not knowing how to reply. He then remembered his days when he served the royal family. The lords always had a way of complimenting the ladies… "It's cute." He finally managed, causing a blush to creep up Hinamori's cheeks. Both of them looked down, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

It was Hinamori that broke the silence. "Um, should we start going now?"

Hitsugaya chuckled nervously, "Yeah, we're already late thanks to Matsumoto." The two stepped out of the gates and started their mission in the human world.

* * *

After the everlasting silence between the two, Hitsugaya decided to start a conversation. After all, it was a long time before they reached the human world. "So Momo, anything important happen since I was gone?"

"Oh, nothing much. I think Yamamoto-taichou is currently trying to nominate new captains though."

"Oh? Who's being nominated?"

Hinamori scratched her head and laughed lightly. "Well, there's currently a problem between the decisions." Hitsugaya didn't answer which Hinamori took as a sign to continue, "See, six shinigami that are able to perform bankai were selected to go through a test to determine which three would be the most fit to become the next captain. Well, on the test, Rukia-chan and Hisagi-senpai scored the highest. And Renji came in next after them. Except Kuchiki-taichou wasn't happy with the results because he doesn't want Rukia to suddenly move to a captain-leveled shinigami so he told Yamamoto-taichou that he can let Rukia be his vice captain but he absolutely rejects the idea of Rukia becoming one the captains."

There was a pause. "I see." Hitsugaya thought for a moment. "Who else took the test?"

"Ikkaku-san was forced to take it, but Yamamoto-taichou said he acts too much without thinking so he didn't qualify. Matsumoto—."

Hitsugaya suddenly turned around to face Hinamori, "Matsumoto has bankai?!" The look on his face made Hinamori laugh.

Hinamori continue, "Er, yeah, but Matsumoto didn't pass either because she goofed off too much during the test."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and continued to walk, "So who else took it?"

Hinamori giggled nervously and blushed, "Well, I'm the last one that took the test…"

Hitsugaya stared as Hinamori as if she'd suddenly grown three heads, "You have bankai too? God, how long have I been gone?"

Hinamori shook her head. "But it's nothing much. I didn't pass simply because I didn't have enough power. Rukia-chan and Hisagi-senpai were amazing! Renji was furious that he got a lower score than Rukia-chan though." She ended the conversation with a light laugh. The two didn't speak again until they reached Urahara's shop.

* * *

"So, we have to attend the high school here so it doesn't make us suspicious?" Hinamori turned around in front of the mirror. _Wow…these human sure wear weird uniforms for school. I wonder what Hitsugaya-kun looks like in his uniform._

"You look fine," Yoruichi reassured her, "And yes you two have to attend high school. Humans your age usually go to school everyday."

"Everyday? Don't they have anything else better to do?"

"Well, we can't expect them to fight hollows for us or anything—."

From outside, there was a knock that interrupted Yoruichi. "Hinamori, we're going to be late for school. Hurry up!" It was Hitsugaya.

Hinamori walked quickly towards the entrance, "I'm coming!" She turned back to Yoruichi, "Um, thanks Shihoin-sama for everything."

Yoruichi flapped her hand carelessly, "It's nothing; you have fun with your captain out there." She winked and shut the door behind Hinamori.

* * *

"Wait, which classroom is it?"

"2-B."

"Then wouldn't it be on the second floor?"

"I think it is, but I wouldn't expect Kurosaki to be still in high school now."

"Um, Hitsugaya-kun, why is everyone staring at us?"

"They're humans; just ignore them." Hitsugaya shoved his hands into his pockets. There were only two possible reasons why humans would stare at them: one, his hair wasn't their style. Or two, Hitsugaya gritted his teeth; they found Hinamori either cute or attractive. And reason number two bothered him to an extent that he didn't want to communicate much with his subordinate.

"Um, did I do something to make you angry, Hitsugaya-kun?" Hinamori stared up at him with innocent eyes.

"No, it's just that I had a bad memory from when I was here last time." Hitsugaya refused to meet her eyes.

"What happened?"

"The teachers thought I was too short and put me in the elementary division." Hitsugaya lied.

At that, Hinamori bursted out laughing which earned her a scowl from Hitsugaya, "Sorry Shiro-chan, but I can actually imagine that happening. But you're different now. I'm sure the teacher will see you as a proper high school student now."

The two stopped in front of classroom 2-B. "Here we go, Hinamori; act natual."

As they were about to enter the classroom, someone from behind called, "Toshirou!" Both Hitsugaya and Hinamori turned around to see a girl with a long black ponytail running towards them.

Hinamori looked at Hitsugaya questioningly, "Do you know her?"

Hitsugaya frowned, "I don't think so."

The girl stopped in front of them and was breathing heavily from trying to catch up with them. "I think you don't remember who I am, Toshirou so I'll reintroduce myself. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki's younger sister, Karin."

* * *

_A/N: I have absolutely no idea how I came up with the 'nominating the new captains' part so I can't really take questions sigh and for Karin, I know how to story is supposed to take place like decades in the Soul Society so Karin would have to be like an old lady now, but I just wanted Hinamori to meet Karin sooooooo much! So, forgive me there!_

_Anyways, reviews would be greatly appreciated!_


	7. Missions 2

_I apologize for my lateness on this story... :( Sry, but I was super busy with finals, midterms, AP classes, and all of that crap. So to make up for it, I wrote this chapter a little bit longer than usual just to let people savor some taste :D_

_I love all the reviews; seriously, if it wasn't for the reviews, I would've probably forgotten this story by now...and that would be sad :(_

**~Enjoy, my patient readers, Kuro-chan  
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Chapter Seven: Missions 2**

Hinamori blinked at Hitsugaya and then at the girl who ran excited up to him. A steady pulse of jealousy began to flow through her as Hitsugaya showed signs of recognition. "Karin? Kurosaki Karin? Were you the one…the soccer game or something?"

Karin smiled. The dimples on her face showed that she was someone that liked to smile a lot. "Toshirou-kun, so you are back from the Soul Society?"

Hinamori's eye narrowed, "Shiro-chan—er, I mean Hitsugaya-taichou—what is going on here? How does this human girl know our secret?"

Hitsugaya was still examining Karin as he answered, "She is the younger sister of Kurosaki Ichigo. I met her a couple years ago when I was sent on a mission to the Human World."

There was blatant displeasure in Hinamori's voice. "I see."

Karin looked curiously at Hinamori, "And who might you be?"

Hinamori smiled a little to hide her jealousy, "I'm Momo Hinamori, currently assisting Hitsugaya-taichou on this mission."

Karin frowned, "What happened to Rangiku-san?"

Hinamori and Hitsugaya both rolled their eyes simultaneously and Hitsugaya ended up explaining, "Matsumoto thought it would be for the best if Hinamori had a chance at a mission. So she requested that we pair up for this…"

"…without attaining our approval of her ideas first." Hinamori finished. She flashed a grin at her friend.

Karin turned to smile at Hinamori, "Well, I'm glad you're here. It's always nice meeting new friends of my brother."

Hinamori couldn't help smiling back despite her sour mood. _This girl isn't nasty like Miyu, and just because Shiro-chan knows her doesn't mean he has any feelings for her…wait…what am I thinking? Why would I care if Shiro-chan did like her? _Putting aside her thoughts, she greeted Karin, "I really don't know Kurosaki-kun that well, but it is nice meeting acquaintances of Shiro-chan and Matsumoto-san." She received a disapproving look from Hitsugaya, but continued, "And you're the first human I've ever became friends with. It would be nice if we could continue to be friends after our mission and all."

Karin walked into the classroom with Hinamori beside her and the two girls sat down next to each other in class. Poor Hitsugaya was left to sit by himself in an empty seat at the left-hand corner of the room. He sighed to himself. It seemed like the girls were already friends with each other.

As Karin sat down, she suddenly had a look of realization and happiness on her face. "Hey Momo-chan," she called to Hinamori, "Do you know how to play soccer, by any chance?"

Hinamori turned to give a questioning look at Hitsugaya before answering, "I'm sorry, Karin-chan, I have absolutely no idea what that is at all."

But Karin's excitement was like unstoppable flames, "But I'll bet you'll be really good if you try it! Toshirou didn't know anything either when he played his first time but he beat our opponents to pulp!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, and my soccer team desperately needs a female player right now since one of our girls ended up in the hospital with a knee injury during the game last week." Karin's look of determination was strong and Hinamori didn't know how to refuse.

"I guess I can try it, but I can't guarantee anything. You say Shiro-chan was really good, but that's him. He's good at everything. He became the youngest captain in the Soul Society, did he tell you that?"

"No, but you shinigami are born fighters, right? If you exercise your skills every day, you can't possibly suck at something like soccer. Please say you'll do it for me, Momo-chan! This game is really important for me and my team. My team will have to forfeit the match if we can't find a substitute player by tonight." Karin's pleads got to Hinamori. After all, Hinamori was a soft-hearted girl.

Hinamori nodded, "I'll try my best. I don't want to let you and your team down, but can I at least have an explanation of how to play the game before I just go off and play?"

Karin winked, "It is really simple compared to reaping hollows. All you have to do is kick a ball into the other team's goal and stop the other team from scoring your goal. I'm sure you'll be good at it; maybe not Toshirou-good, but you can't be worse than me." She gave Hinamori an encouraging smile and Hinamori returned it as the second bell rang.

**XkurochanX**

The one thing Hinamori didn't like about human clothes was the fact that it was far too tight. Okay, the skirt, she didn't really mind, but how was she expected to do flips and jump to her extreme height when the shirt was half choking her? These complaints she gave to Karin and to her surprise, Karin didn't laugh at her.

"I completely agree with you. But don't worry, for all sports activities, we don't have to wear tight shirts. You'll really like soccer then." Karin was leading Hinamori out onto the field for lunch break. She produced a black and white ball from a bag she carried and tossed it over to Hinamori. "This is the ball that you'll be playing with in soccer. See those?" She pointed to the netted figures at either sides of the field, "Those are the goals where you'll be kicking this ball into. Want to try it out?"

Hinamori frowned. It didn't really seem that hard to her. _Just get the ball and kick it into one of those goal thingies, right? No problem, I don't see how hard that can get…_She gently set the ball in front of her feet and gave it her best shot. The ball was lighter than she had expected and the force she had put into kicking the ball was a little over-the-top; the ball didn't only make it to the goal, but it completely ripped through the net. "Oops."

Karin blinked at her and then a wide smile spread over her face, "See, I wasn't wrong about you. You'll definitely be a great player!" She then sprinted after the soccer ball that Hinamori over-kicked.

Hinamori turned to find Hitsugaya watching them silently at the right side of the field. "Am I supposed to kick it through the net each time?" She questioned.

Hitsugaya chuckled, "No, you're supposed to lightly kick the ball into the goal while avoiding the defenders." He stepped out onto the soccer field just as Karin returned.

"Defenders?" Hinamori asked curiously, "What's that?"

Hitsugaya smiled, "For example," he kicked the ball Karin retrieved back to Hinamori and stepped in front of the goal, "Now, let's see you kick it into the goal again."

Hinamori bit her lip as her brain whirled ahead, trying to think up of a way to get pass Hitsugaya. _Shiro-chan is right-handed, so I will have to presume that his right side would be better guarded than his left. My best chances of making it pass him would be to…_Hinamori kicked the ball to her right and skidding around Hitsugaya, kicked it up into the air. She then used Hitsugaya as a support as she performed a back-flip, aiming the ball for the goal. _Yes, it's going to work._ But out of nowhere, she saw a flash of a leg hook the ball away from her. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Hitsugaya had already scored the other goal.

Shock numbed Hinamori, "How did you…do that?"

Hitsugaya smirked back at her, "It's called defense and I'm the defender, so my job is to not allow you to score my goal."

Hinamori gritted her teeth. Yes, she was a gentle girl most of the time, but she hated it when someone would mock her like that. Now her competitive side roared alive. "Again, let's go again. That's the last goal you'll ever make in so enjoy it while you can. You only caught me off guard."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you thought that was pure luck." The smirk returned on his face, "Well, I'll show you what it means to have skills, Momo. Just watch and learn."

"If you think that was my best move, oh boy, are you wrong."

"I didn't say that was my best move either. But I will say that I think I am better than you at this human game."

"You want to bet??? That move was nothing."

Hitsugaya held out a hand, "Yes, let's bet on it."

Hinamori smiled and took his hand. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time, "Winner is supreme soccer champion of the human world."

"Loser has to admit _she_ was wrong and has to whatever the winner says."

"How are you so confident that you're going to win?" Hinamori looked up at her white-haired friend.

Hitsugaya's jade-green eyes met hers, "I have some tricks up my sleeves."

Hinamori dropped the soccer ball onto the ground, "Prepare yourself, Shiro-chan…"

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou to you."

**XkurochanX**

The teacher looked around the room, "Where are Toshirou and Momo?" He directed the question at Karin who was looking a little disappointed sitting by herself.

Karin answered, "Well, they're a little busy right now with their bet but they should be finishing up right about now."

The teacher looked furious, "They're ditching class for a bet???"

"I guess if you want to put it that way. I mean, they don't really like going to class in the first place." Karin shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?"

Before the question was answered, a panting Hitsugaya and Hinamori appeared at the door. There was a smug look on Hitsugaya's face and an annoyed one on Hinamori's face so it was obvious to Karin as to who won the bet.

"Excuse us," Hitsugaya began in between gulps of air, "We lost track of the time…"

The teacher glared at the two shinigami, "You think that will make me just let the two of you go? After school detention tomorrow. Both of you! Now get in your seats before I call of the principal!" He barked.

As Hinamori sat down and wondered what detention was, Karin whispered to her, "You lost?"

The anger that had cooled down suddenly started to flame again. "You never told me Shiro-chan was _that_ good. I couldn't get anything past him and he was scoring as if it was as easy as breathing to him! He like a wall when it comes to defense! But he's a captain-leveled shinigami and I'm not, so that's going to be my only excuse!"

The teacher began his lesson and both of the girls quieted. "Today, we're going to discuss Newton's law of Universal Gravitation. Now class, reviewing from yesterday, what is force directly proportional to?"

Karin raised her hand, "Force is directly proportional to the mass of the two objects."

The teacher nodded and smile, "And what is it inversely proportional to?"

By now, both Hitsugaya and Hinamori had let their minds wander off. Hitsugaya was smiling to himself trying to think up of something he was going to make Hinamori do while Hinamori was worrying what in the world a detention was and how she was going to spend it with Hitsugaya.

"Momo-chan?" The teacher called on her.

Hinamori blinked, "What?"

The teacher looked very displeased, "What is force inversely proportional to? At least your attention is now focused on me and not Toshirou over there now."

A blush crept up on Hinamori's cheeks but she found her voice somehow, "Force is inversely proportional to the distance squared." She answered confidently, ignoring the teacher's last comments as the rest of the class laughed away.

She looked over at Hitsugaya who raised an eyebrow at her in wonder. She blushed again and tried to focus on physics instead of the guy who clouded most of her thoughts. _See, I told Matsumoto-san that this would be a bad idea. I can't focus on anything when Shiro-chan is next to me! At least this is only class; on the battlefield, it would be much, much worse. _

After a long torturous hour or more, the final bell rang to dismiss all the students. Hinamori gave a sigh of relief as she gathered up her books to walk out the door. To her surprise, she was stopped by Karin.

"Oh hey, I didn't see you there." Hinamori gave her a smile, but it wasn't returned.

"Are you coming to the soccer game tonight for my team, Momo-chan?" Karin asked as the two girls walked out of the school.

"Yeah, sure." Hinamori looked back at Hitsugaya, who was a step behind them, "Will you watch for bad guys tonight, Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya shrugged, "No problem; you two enjoy yourselves." He gave both of them a wave and then walked towards the direction of Urahara's shop.

When Hitsugaya was far out of range, Karin lowered her voice and looked seriously at Hinamori, "Tell me, Momo-chan, you like Toshirou-kun, don't you?"

* * *

_Kuro-chan's evil thoughts exposed!!!  
_

_1. Hitsugaya making Hinamori do whatever he wants? Hmm, that could be interesting_

_2. Alone after school detention for Shiro-chan and Momo-chan??? That sounds like trouble and romance mixed weaved together into goodness..._

_3. What about Karin's feeling??? Will there be conflicts (pch...yes...)?_

_Review: tell me what you want; I'm open for suggestions ;)  
_


	8. Soccer

_Wow...it's been such a long time since I've actually written down a chapter that's been swimming in my head for a while. :D I'm sorry, but I've just been so busy lately...I might update more if people enjoy this story. That means I would love to hear your comments and reviews ;)_

**~Kuro-chan**_  
_

**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Soccer**

Hinamori refused to meet Karin's gaze as she felt the hot blush starting to creep up on her cheeks. "W-what? Shi-Shiro-chan? He's my best friend since we were little." She began to hurry her pace towards the soccer stadium while Karin trained behind her with a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't really answer my question, Momo-chan. Do you like Toshirou-kun or not? It's a yes or no question so you can't really answer 'He's my best friend since we were little'." Karin had a little smile on her face, but Hinamori couldn't read her feelings behind it.

Hinamori took a deep breath. She trusted Karin. And she didn't see the harm in her knowing the little secret that she's been unsuccessfully keeping since her best friend came back from his mission. "Yes. Yes, I do like him. I have feelings for him far more than he knows. When he left on his mission, I thought I missed him as a friend, but when he came back, I finally woke up and saw that that wasn't the case. I am so uncontrollably in love with him I can't help it. Every time I look at him, I think about how nice it would be if only he knew what I really think of him. But he—I'm sorry Karin-chan. I don't know what got into me. I usually don't just randomly blab about these things." Hinamori laughed nervously and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. She then looked up at Karin to see her reactions.

Karin sighed and chuckled nervously, "I guess since you've confessed your feelings, I should tell you how I feel." Hinamori raised an eyebrow and waited for her friend to continue, "I don't think I have the same depth to my feelings as yours, but Toshirou-kun is someone that I feel extremely happy around and comfortable around. And plus, he's a really charming and eye-catching person. But he doesn't like me as more than a friend." Karin finished off sadly.

Hinamori suddenly pitied her new friend, "I wouldn't say that Karin-chan. He actually talks to you…that would mean he's at least somewhat into you, right?"

Karin shook her head, "No, he treats me as a friend, but I know for sure that he doesn't like me as anything more. I mean, I've seen the way he looks at you."

Hinamori took a step back, "WHAT? Me? Whatever do you mean?"

Karin laughed, "Oh, don't pretend you don't notice! Have you seen the way he occasionally glances at you when he's sure you're not looking? And the way he always seems to place his body before yours just to protect you?"

Hinamori shook her head to futilely reject Karin's statements, "No…I don't think so. I mean, he's probably overprotective of me just because I'm supposed to be his partner and him glancing at me? I think you're probably just imagining stuff on your own."

Karin shook her head, "Whatever…we'll see in time. But seriously, I'm fine with it. I mean, Toshirou-kun is someone who I see as a friend OR more. I'm fine with him just being friends with me. And if he actually liked me, then I could probably consider being more." And she turned to toss the soccer ball to Hinamori, "And Momo-chan, don't upset Toshirou-kun please. And don't waste your opportunities."

And with that, the two girls continued their way to the soccer stadium in silence.

Under normal circumstances, Hinamori would've noticed that they were being followed from the beginning, but her mind was so preoccupied with her 'best friend' that she didn't even see the silvery hair that glittered under the moonlight. So of course she didn't know that he had heard everything that was exchanged between the two girls.

**XkurochanX**

The ball was once again passed to Hinamori. She set the ball up high for herself and then flipped backwards, letting her leg swing over her head to plant the ball squarely in the goal. The swish of the net signaled Hinamori that she had scored…yet again. She looked up at the score board above her head: 4-0 and only 20 minutes have passed so far.

Now she had to play defense. Easy. All she had to do was use her leg to hook away the ball from the other team members…right? She swiftly dashed up to the other players with easy. Endurance wasn't a big challenge for her; seriously, she has to fight hollows and other monsters that threaten the soul society every day. How hard can a little game be?

**XkurochanX**

From the shadows of the soccer stadium, Hitsugaya watched the teams play vigorously against each other. He noticed one girl in particular. For some reason, his eyes would always linger on the black haired girl that made in three of the four goals, the girl whose eyes glowed with competition, the girl whom he adored. She was beautiful, spectacular really…and it was no wonder most of the guys sitting on the sidelines were staring at her in awe. Usually, he would feel a wave of jealousy wash over him, but now it was different. His precious Momo-chan felt the same way about him as he felt about her. He chuckled lightly to himself. How pathetic of him thinking that she might've still been in love with Aizen. That insecurity vanished as soon as Hinamori admitted her feelings to Karin. He sighed and the wide grin on his face showed how happy he was feeling.

Hitsugaya watched as Hinamori dashed up to the goal and kicked yet another ball in. The score was now 6-0. He always knew Hinamori was this amazing.

Then suddenly, without warning, the warm breeze that had been blowing a couple minutes earlier turned into a chilly gust. Hitsugaya stood up and from the corner of his eyes, he could see Hinamori freezing up in the middle of her game. They read each other's minds: hallow.

Hinamori and Hitsugaya took from their pocket their soul candy package and swallowed a ball-shaped pill. Instantly, they were separated from their human body and in their shinigami robes. Hitsugaya turned and faced the giant black blob in front of him as he felt Hinamori step up beside him.

"Wow, Shiro-chan, you got here fast." Hinamori commented.

"Really?" Hitsugaya replied absently.

They both took their time to survey the situation in front of them. It was Hitsugaya that gave the command, "Okay Hinamori, I want you to circle around behind it and back me up in case my frontal attack fails."

Hinamori made a face, "Shiro-chan, do you not think that my abilities have at least improved a little bit over the past few year? I'm not a weakling anymore."

Hitsugaya spun on Hinamori, "I know that you're strong. And I know that you have already achieved bankai, but I don't think you need to waste any of your strength on this monster since it's one of the lower powered ones." With that, he dashed off into an attack and left Hinamori to follow his orders.

The monster in front of them didn't stand a chance against Hitsugaya. He drew his sword first and a gush of icy smoke swirled around him. Then, he proceeded to throwing his sword up into the air. And with a wave of his hand, the sky suddenly started raining ice needles straight at the monster in front of him. Within seconds, the monster disintegrated into black ash without the need for Hinamori to even move. Hitsugaya sheathed his sword and walked back to Hinamori.

"That was easy."

Hinamori pouted, "But I didn't get to do anything! It was over before I even moved!"

Hitsugaya smiled and Hinamori felt her heart stop, "Okay fine, I'll let you have the next one. I promise."

Hinamori returned his smile, "That's better." She looked back at the soccer stadium. "Oh no! We're losing! I have to get back to the game!" As she was about to jump back into play, Hitsugaya suddenly grabbed her from behind and pulled her into his arms.

"Good luck," he whispered into her ear before letting Hinamori return to her game.

* * *

_Will Hinamori ever discover how Hitsugaya feels about her?_

_Will Karin really be fine with the two of them together?_

_Will Momo-chan and Shiro-chan be able to grow closer now? And what about their detention tomorrow?...and heck! Wait! Where are they sleeping tonight ;)_

_Wanna find out? Please review for me!  
_


	9. Sleepover!

_Wow...this is like the longest I've ever written for a chapter. Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks to all of the fantastic comments I got from Chapter Eight that encouraged me to write this, I'm finally done! :D_

**~Kuro-chan**_  
_

**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Sleepover!**

Hitsugaya watched as Karin half-jumped on Hinamori after the soccer game. "Wow Momo-chan! That was amazing! I knew you'd be good, but this good?"

Hinamori laughed and blushed prettily at the comment, "Thanks Karin-chan. You were really great too. And besides, if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't even have a clue what soccer is right now." The two girls laughed and walked back to the stands where their white-haired friend was meeting them. Hinamori avoided his eye contact as the boiling blood in her cheeks began to show.

Karin waved at Hitsugaya, "Oi! Toshirou-kun, wasn't Momo-chan amazing?"

Hitsugaya smiled and walked towards them with his hands in his sweatshirt pockets, "Yes, she played a great game." He looked at Hinamori and almost laughed at how her face was turning redder as he approached her. He turned to Karin, "Oh, by the way, I have a question for you."

Karin nodded for Hitsugaya to continue.

"Hinamori and I have nowhere to go tonight and we were wondering if you could potentially help us out with a place."

Karin frowned, "Couldn't you always stay at Urahara-san's shop?"

Hitsugaya sighed, "Well, I would normally stay there, but that old man has Yoruichi currently visiting him there and I wouldn't want us to intrude on the middle of anything, if you know what I mean."

Karin held back a laugh, "Of course…well, I guess you could stay at our house if you wanted to. Ichi-nii is currently out for another mission with Rukia-san so I think the two of you can stay in his room." She turned in the direction of her house and motioned of the two shinigami to follow her.

Hitsugaya turned to look at Hinamori, "What do you think, Hina?"

Hinamori nodded, but still kept her eyes away from Hitsugaya's, "Sure. That would be great." The two of them ran to catch up with Karin as they made their way towards the Kurosaki residence.

**XkurochanX**

Karin walked through the door first and hollered, "Hey Dad! We've got visitors. Come down if you want to meet them!"

From the stair jumped down an overexcited man with cropped black hair, "Oh! My beautiful daughter Karin has finally found herself a boyfriend!"

Karin kicked him in the face, "NO! These people are shinigami. There's staying here temporarily since they've got nowhere else to go."

"Oh? Well…which divisions are you from?" Isshin Kurosaki rubbed his chin as Hitsugaya and Hinamori began to wonder how this man could have possibly produced their friend Ichigo and Karin.

Hitsugaya recovered from the shocking meeting first, "I am Captain Hitsugaya Toshirou of the Tenth Division and this is my subordinate on this mission Vice-captain Hinamori Momo of the Fifth Divison."

Isshin rubbed his chin, "Ah…Hitsugaya Toshirou? I've heard lots about you. You're the youngest captain in Soul Society history and the youngest person to ever achieve Bankai, am I correct?"

Hitsugaya hesitated and then nodded. He and Hinamori quickly exchanged a glance.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take them upstairs Dad!" Karin called while pushing Hitsugaya and Hinamori up into Ichigo's room. Once inside, Karin quickly turned and locked the door.

Hinamori smiled at Karin, "Well, your dad sure seems excited to meet us…"

Karin sighed, "It's okay if you want to bad mouth him Momo-chan. Don't hold back." Karin paused to glance at the two shinigami in her brother's room. Hitsugaya had already started to make himself comfortable on the wide bed. "Hmm…well, I'll go and get a sleeping bag or something while the two of you take a shower."

Hitsugaya and Hinamori both looked confused, "Shower?"

"Yeah," Karin rolled her eyes, "It's what humans do routinely every day. Come on Momo-chan, I'll show you the bathroom and find you some of my clothes to wear." Without a reply from Hinamori, Karin had already dragged her away.

Hitsugaya sighed and laid back to look up at the full moon outside. It looked so cold and lonely…just like himself. "Women…" he muttered under his breath, "They're going to be the death of me." Not long afterwards, Karin returned to the room. They both sat in silence until Karin finally spoke, "So Toshirou-kun, you now know…"

Hitsugaya turned to face his friend, "What do you mean?"

Karin smirked, "Oh, don't play innocent now. Didn't your mother ever teach you that eavesdropping was rude?"

Hitsugaya turned to look back out the window, "I guess I didn't hide my reiatsu well enough." Karin smiled and the two continued their silence streak. It was awkward in the room with Karin, Hitsugaya decided; they had nothing in common except for the fact that they both can sense hollows and play soccer. While Hinamori, on the other hand…Hitsugaya broke the silence this time, "Does she know?"

"What?" Karin looked confused.

"Does she know that I had heard?" Hitsugaya repeated patiently. He knew on the outside, he looked perfectly calm, yet he could feel himself suddenly getting jumpy and nervous internally. What if Hinamori didn't want him to know? What if Hinamori wasn't serious? What if she knew that he was there the whole time and only said what she had said to make him feel better about himself? The tenth captain shut his eyes. He had confidently battled hollows, arrancars, palace thieves, and other evils for centuries, yet this was the only thing he doubted himself in.

Karin laughed, "No, of course not." Hitsugaya let out a small breath of relieve, "She was so occupied with blabbing about you and that she wouldn't have noticed a hollow if she had walked into it."

Hitsugaya let out a laugh at that. "So tell me Karin…what else did—."

There was a sudden beeping noise coming from Karin's pocket. Karin held up a finger and took out her cellphone. "Hold on for a second Toshirou-kun, I have to answer this text message from Rangiku-san."

Hitsugaya sat up suddenly, "WHAT? You're texting Matsumoto? But-but how?"

Karin beamed an innocent smile at Hitsugaya, "It's the soulphones that came out a couple years ago. Anyone who is in some way related to a shinigami from the Soul Society is given one of these for free! And plus, it had all the contact information of all of the captains and vice-captains programmed in it. And it has thousands of photo and videos in its shared network. Look! Here's a video of you!"

Hitsugaya took the light blue phone from Karin to watch the video. "Karin…I'm sleeping."

Karin smiled, "Yeah, and look at how many fangirls favorited this video!" She took her finger to scroll down on the touch screen. "937. That's the most popular video besides the one of Kuchiki-taichou walking in the garden."

The look on Hitsugaya's face was priceless. Karin had to hold back a laugh. "But-but," Hitsugaya looked confused, "How are they able to capture a video of me sleeping?"

"Oh, Rangiku-san video tapes you a lot. She had one of you taking a shower…" Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed, "But Isane censored it."

Hitsugaya still didn't look too happy. "Matsumoto is so fucking dead when we get back."

Karin browsed through her phone for a second, "And here are the pictures of you. 35,305 photos altogether. Aw…look, here's a picture of you talking to Momo-chan."

Hitsugaya grabbed the phone again, "That's the night when I came back from my mission to protect the Royal Family."

Karin's eyes widened on the photo, "And you wore a sleeveless kosode?"

"Yeah…?" Hitsugaya was confused. He had no idea what Karin was trying to imply.

Just then, the door to the room opened and a wet-haired Hinamori walked in. She was wearing a pale blue dress with pink flowers all over it and she smiled at Hitsugaya and Karin as she entered, "What are you two doing?"

Hitsugaya had to stare at her form for a second before regaining his thoughts and words, "Discovering that my vice-captain had been taking photos and capturing videos of me instead of doing paperwork." Hitsugaya replied with dry humor.

Hinamori laughed, "Oh, so you finally discovered the soulphones. I remember that Kuchiki-taichou wasn't too happy when his division started using them."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, "Not funny, Bed-wetter Momo…" But in reality, he was happy to see Hinamori finding it so amusing.

Hinamori stuck her tongue out at him childishly. "Whatever! And I still think it's hilarious…"

Karin looked at Hitsugaya with a strangest expression on her face. "Wait, what did you just call Momo-chan, Toshirou?"

Hinamori cut into Hitsugaya's reply, "It was just a nickname he gave me when we were little—."

Her response was cut short by Karin's shrieking laughter. "Oh…that's a brilliant nickname! Hahahaha…oh…it can be taken wrong in so many different ways, if you know what I mean." With that, she broke into another giggle fit. Realizing what was so funny, both Hitsugaya and Hinamori's faces flushed tomato-red.

"No," Hinamori tried to fix the mistake without realizing it only made it worse, "It's not like that…we haven't—."

"Of course you haven't. Now, don't 'wet' my brother's bed tonight, Momo-chan." Karin started laughing again as Hitsugaya walked towards the door. "I'm going to take a shower," he muttered under his breath while trying to hide his red face. With that, he closed the door behind him to leave the two girls to enjoy themselves.

Hinamori turned on Karin as soon as Hitsugaya walked out, "Karin-chan! Not funny! That was completely embarrassing in front of Shiro-chan!" She tried to put her hands on her cheeks to cool them.

Karin giggled, "Oh Momo-chan, you know you want to." She continued to tease her.

Hinamori turned away so that Karin couldn't see her face turning another shade redder (if that was even possible) since she couldn't find it in herself to deny what Karin had said. "Well," Hinamori whispered quietly, "Desire and reality are two different things." She was hoping that Karin hadn't heard her, but unfortunately, she had.

"Momo-chan. Your reality is obviously different from everyone else's. I mean, it's kinda obvious to me and Rangiku-san and probably the whole Soul Society that your precious 'Shiro-chan' is in love with you."

Hinamori shook her head, "No he's not."

Karin sighed, "I should be hired as a professional psychiatrist." She muttered to herself and then turned to Hinamori, "Well, why don't you think so?"

Hinamori shrugged, "I don't know. It's just that I can't really see him liking me, you know?"

"No, I don't know. I can see him liking you perfectly clear." Karin replied bluntly.

Hinamori shook her head, "I guess I just feel that he deserves more than me. I mean, I'm not…special or anything. I'm weak-minded and I believe in the good of people and when people betray me, I can't do anything about it."

Karin frowned, "Are you referencing Aizen?" Hinamori nodded and Karin sighed, "Listen girl, it's not a bad thing to believe in the good of people because there are good people in this world, Toshirou being one of them. And you say that you don't deserve him? That's complete nonsense! I've only seen him be truly happy around you and you're the only person he actually acts childish around."

"But…but he's so…up there," Hinamori countered, "He was a genius in the Shinigami Academy, graduating in one year. He's the youngest person in the Soul Society to achieve bankai and he's the youngest captain…EVER! I mean, he's got so many accomplishments…and me? I just cried over Aizen when he betrayed me. I'm nothing compared to him."

Karin sighed, "And yet, you're the only one that he's attracted to. I haven't seen him being overprotective of any of the other vice-captains or anyone else in general."

Hinamori blushed, finding that she had no way of defending this argument. And Karin continued her storm, "And…seriously? Have you seen him? Sexy…" she sang.

Right on cue, the door opened and Hitsugaya walked into the room wearing Ichigo's old jeans. Apparently, he was unable to find a shirt. Hinamori and Karin both stared at his bare chest…muscular…fit…rip…wow…

"Oh my god, I've never noticed how hot you are…" Hinamori mutter absently.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me, what?"

"Er…I meant…you look-look, um, great in your shirt…" Hinamori uttered out.

"Hina, has the soccer ball hit you too hard on the head? I'm not wearing a shirt…" Hitsugaya was still looking at her.

Hinamori blinked, "No. What I meant was, um…" she looked at Karin desperately for help.

"Oh, um, what she meant to say was that…" Karin gave Hinamori the 'what-the-heck-do-you-want-me-to-say' look, "Phew…is it hot in here or is it just me?"

Hitsugaya looked at the two girls, "It's just the two of you. That or you've been playing soccer for way too long." He smirked, "Now, what did you say before the comment on my shirt Hina?"

"Wow! Look at the time!" Karin intercepted, pretending to look at her watch, "I've got to go to bed. Phew…that game was exhausting. You two should be getting some sleep to. Oh, and Hinamori, you can sleep in Ichigo's closet. That's where Rukia-san slept before she moved to my brother's bed. Good night!" Quickly, before Hinamori could call her back, she left and shut the door firmly behind her.

Hinamori turned to face Hitsugaya in the small room. So…this was going to be a long night.

* * *

_AUTHOR NOTE: _

_1. This is only Part 1 of this chapter. So...if you want Part 2 to be up, you know what to do ;)_

_2. The idea of the soulphones came to me in a delightful little dream. And Momo's nickname...lol, I hope you enjoyed that too!  
_

_3. Also, I would like to thank everyone that commented on the last chapter. Seriously, it really encourages me to keep writing. :) This chapter is dedicated to all of you!_

_4. Hitsugaya is freaking hot without a shirt and Momo knows it! (Sorry, random, but...just to get it out of my head)_

_5. Reviews? Comments? Or just to talk? Go for it!  
_


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